Transpose
by IsYourH3artTaken
Summary: As a student of Shiratorizawa Academy, you expect a lot in life: crowded dorm rooms, sleepless nights spent studying, and the unpleasant stench of a horse's stable. One thing they never warned me about, though, was receiving a spike to the head from Ushijima Wakatoshi. Ushijima/OC.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Haikyuu, only my OC.**

* * *

**Chapter One: He Blinded Me With Sportsmanship**

I was this close to having a mental breakdown.

Toppled with the weight of after school assignments, extended papers to turn in, wondering if a horse would escape from it's stables and cause another blockade in the street, and the occasional weekly stop to the supermarket to pick up something from Mom's grocery list, a six hour break off campus wasn't enough to get my mind at ease before bed. It wasn't even enough to just sit on the couch and do nothing. I needed some time off. On the weekends, in the comfort of home, I got everything but that.

It was more like a loose leash that gradually tightened by the weekends of burying myself between piles of books or keeping my little brother from tearing his soccer practice clothes. I was the big sister, though, who had to dorm away from home during school nights and that meant having a routine to stick to every time I went back. Most of the time, I felt like shutting myself away in the dusty panels of my closet and forgetting all about about academic expectations.

"Ow! Not so high!"

"You told me to push."

"I didn't mean that hard!"

My best friend, Matsuzaki Itsuko, glared down at me and rubbed the spot at the side of her head that bumped against the window sill. What originally started off as a relaxing walk home for the weekend quickly turned into an ongoing battle for balance when she heard the echoing thumps of a volleyball being hit inside the school gymnasium and scrambled to climb up my back like a human ladder for a better look. The peak of her tongue slithered out from the corner of her mouth as she sat uneasily with her legs on my shoulders, fumbling to open the latches to the highest window possible. The lower one only provided an awkward angle of muscular legs, which wasn't enough to sate her voyeurism, I guess.

"Wait, wait, stop!" She exclaimed all of a sudden, stiffening up like a metal rod. I paused, her shrill tone leaving with a feeling like I'd just got hit with a stun gun. "That's it!" She gushed, cheeks burning bright pink. "There he is! Oh gosh, I wish you could see this, Chihiro-chan! He looks so perfect."

I huffed, blowing a wisp of hair out of my eyes.

Every day after school ended, we'd end up in this same position. She would drag me along with her to spy on the boys' volleyball team practice, insisting that I stand watch so she could stare at her crush without worrying about passing faculty staff. Ever since she laid eyes on Tendo Satori, life just hadn't been the same. She never wanted to talk about anything other than the team's upcoming matches or how to conveniently bump into him in the halls between classes and whenever she slept over my house, it was spent wasting away on those sport magazines where most of the team members had featured articles.

The things that I said never seemed to interest her anymore unless they were somehow connected to that stupid ball smacking sport. They were taking over her life and our friendship. For that, I would always have a special kind of hatred for volleyball and everyone who played it.

Especially Tendo.

The tall redheaded blocker, who acted more like a mad scientist than a smooth talker, had surprisingly stolen the affections of a lot of girls in Shiratorizawa Academy. He was funny enough for some, but the romantic appeal soared over my head like a tree bound kite.

"Itsu-chan, can we please go now?" I pleaded with her. "I promised my mom I wouldn't be late for dinner again."

"Just one more minute, I swear!" She chirped, glancing down at me with a love addled grin. Her eyes were wide, glossy and practically had stars in place of her pupils.

_The eyes of a lunatic_, I thought to myself.

Itsuko and I had been close friends since our fifth birthday. Not only did we attend the same school, but she lived a few neighborhoods down from my own house, within walking distance so there was very few days in our lives where we went without seeing each other, even in passing. Sometimes it came to the point where one of us felt a little smothered by each other's constant company and we needed a break to hang out with other people. Much like siblings in that way.

And to add on even more to that dynamic, sometimes it was easy to get overwhelmed by the negative aspects of our personalities. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when she got bitten by the love bug that I really began to see it too. It seemed like it was destiny that she would crush on the spiky haired volleyballer, sinking our friendship in the process and possibly my own home life by how late she liked to keep me out.

I should have went to Aobajosai.

The echoing sounds of sneaker covered feet slamming onto the gymnasium floor, volleyballs bouncing off hard surfaces and male cheering filter through the cracked window. My arms began to tremble and ache from holding Itsuko's legs in place for so long. I tried shifting my weight to accommodate hers, but it didn't help much. I wasn't as strong as her electrocuted haired crush and that one minute promise was quickly turning into ten.

"This is starting to hurt-"

"I know, isn't he so talented? I don't know why he's not the captain."

I stared blankly at the white wall for a moment before gazing up at her. She didn't comprehend a word I said. Smoke should have been puffing out of my ears from how agitated I was growing. Not to mention the messenger bag that was still hanging off my shoulder, crammed with at least five different thick papered school textbooks. It clung firm against my uniform blazer the second we entered these shenanigans, but with Itsuko's legs grinding against the strap and the constant adjustment of my feet placement to keep her elevated, it was beginning to slip. That wouldn't be good for either of us. Somebody inside would surely hear it drop.

"I can't feel my hands anymore," I mumbled.

"Ten more seconds, I swear! He's just about to make the practice set!"

"But-"

Her pale blonde eyebrows knitted together at that, but she didn't look down. "What? What is it"?

"Just quit moving for a second."

"Why, what's the matt-" Then she did it.

She moved.

And we went tumbling down. Itsuko's shriek filled my eardrums as we crashed onto the grass, arms flailing like caught fish. I landed on my side with a clumsy thump and I heard her cry out a little in pain when her bare knees made contact with the dewy earth. The flap of my book bag flew open, causing papers and writing utensils to scatter all over the grass and concrete. Some notebook paper that I had previously torn out for quick access had rocketed high into the air and were floating down around us like pellets of snow. It was a disaster. If any teachers came by and saw us like that, they'd probably empty out our lockers and kick us out into the street.

I leaned upright, groaning and shifted my legs so they were folding off to the side. A lonely sheet of parchment came swaying down from an unseen location and landed very delicately on my head, like a new hat. I glared up at it before shaking my head fiercely, knocking it off.

"Maaaaan," Itsuko moaned her usual phrase when something went awry. She was bracing herself on her hands and knees, but sat back on her heels then and inspected her palms to see if they were scraped.

Grumbling to myself, I rose unsteadily to my feet and began scooping up the fallen debris of papers, pencils and erasures that had exploded out of my bag, thrusting them inside rougher than necessary. I never felt so much anger before, especially directed toward a single person, let alone my best friend and up until then, I didn't think I ever would. My life was just too mellow for that. It used to be, anyhow. Now all I wanted to do was go home and enjoy the disarray of my own personal bedroom but she couldn't even allow me that. It was like I had become an unwilling third participate in her and her one sided relationship and she wasn't understanding my breakup text messages.

"Hmm," Itsuko hummed after a minute and I glanced over to see her gawking up at the window sill again, one arm wrapped under her chest, the other hand fisted under her chin. Her green eyes brightened and she whipped around to look at me excitedly. "Hey, maybe if we stack yours and my books together like a box-" She made an outline of the shape with her hands. "We could see up into the-"

"No, Itsuko," I snapped. "Stay here all day if you want, but I have to go home."

Her face crumpled slowly, like a dissolving cookie in milk. "But... but why?"

"Why? _Why?_ I told you I couldn't be late for dinner again. I told you twice. Do you even listen to me anymore?"

"Of course I do, Chihiro-chan!"

"Then what did I tell you I had to buy for my mom earlier?"

Itsuko went still then, twisting and kicking her feet around in the grass. She smiled sheepishly and scrubbed her fingers through the back of her golden blonde hair. "Um... those daifuku packs your Dad likes?"

Just the guilt in her expression was enough for me to turn my back on her and continue searching for my missing belongings. I snatched the paper sheets off the blades of grass hard enough to cause wrinkles and tears at the corners, internally vowing to myself to never be reeled in by hers or anyone else's extracurricular mischief ever again. In a way, it was all my own doing. I was the one who let Itsuko go far off the edge into her infatuation, assuming it would quit after about a week or two. It wasn't like this wasn't the first time she admired a guy from a far then quickly forgot him in favor for another handsome face. That was just who she was. An overly stimulated, scatterbrained person.

Itsuko was still groveling as I leaned down to pick up fallen pencil sharpeners. They were lying nearby the steps that went into the boys' gym. "Hey, you're not really leaving now, huh? It's still early! What about our plans later?"

"Consider them cancelled."

"What about on Monday? We're still going to the movies after school, right?"

"Who knows."

That made her groan and she went on crooning my name the way she always would when I wasn't completely won over by her schemes. "But Chihiiiiirohhhhhh."

Instead of smiling that time, the sound of it made me roll my eyes. Let her sulk and think about her selfishness. That was just fine with me. It wasn't like I didn't have a novel's length of schoolwork to do. There were plenty of things for me to do to keep myself occupied. Maybe I wouldn't even answer her calls for a week straight. Maybe two.

The last few notebook papers went drifting along with the soft breeze, leading them to rest faraway at the steps of the boy's gymnasium. They crinkled by the force of the current and I hurried over to snatch them up before they had a chance to fly to a place where I couldn't reach. Someone inside the gym must have heard us fall anyway and was bound to come out to see what it was. How would it look to find two high school girls leering in on the boy's volleyball practice? And making a big secret of it? Boys would probably laugh. Other girls would make fun of us. The Principal wouldn't be happy either...

I didn't even want to imagine our parent's reactions. The mere concept made me suppress a shudder.

Sighing, I bent down to pick up the pages, frowning when I saw that some of the pencil writing had smudged.

"Chihiro-chan, wait!" Itsuko's voice rang out startlingly loud.

"What now?" I muttered, still upset and bending over to collect my stuff. The gentle breeze blew wisps of hair in my eyes and my vision was blurred when I straightened up.

"- no! Look out!" The voice of my best friend warned one final time until a solid round mass smashed into the side of my head.

Everything went black.

* * *

It was like time travel, from the second consciousness left me to the minute my eyes slowly peeked open atop of the nurse's bed. The plain white room looked even brighter than normal, the ceiling bulbs so blinding I had to clamp both hands across my eyes and groan. A dull, aching pain ticked at the base of my neck. What happened? I remembered getting mad at Itsuko, then it all grew fuzzy from there. Did our fall make me sick? Did the boy's volleyball team catch us in mid peep and I fainted in mortification? I didn't know which would be worse.

I shifted on the papery bed, the waves of air coming from the vents making me shiver as I tried to piece together what transpired. When I tried standing up, a hand gently pushed me back down by the arm. A friendly face came into view.

It was the school nurse. "No, no, you better lie there until the swelling goes down," she said. "You got hit pretty hard."

I closed my eyes when she began prodding the sensitive bump at the side of my head with her fingers, hissing in discomfort when she pressed down. "Sorry, sweetie." She smiled sheepishly, her red lipstick smooth and shiny over her full lips.

"What happened?" I asked as she bustled around for a cold compress.

"Goodness, that ball did get you good," the nurse murmured, her eyes widening a little. She swept my hair back over my shoulder before pressing an ice packet to the bruising, patting my hand with her free one when I winced at the contact. "It's no shock that you don't remember. A volleyball collided with you during the boys' practice. You fell unconscious and had to be carried here. Don't worry, you're not severely hurt and there wasn't any blood. Quite a difference than what happened to the last student!"

I grew pale by the end of her explanation, a gory scene popping into my head of a young students lying in a helpless heap with their head missing, surrounded by peers pointing and laughing while a star struck Itsuko threw flower petals at Tendo's feet. The picture made me both angry and sick. Stupid volleyball players.

The nurse studied my expression and shook her head quickly. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it that way. You just woke up quicker than most. What a trooper!" She gave another smile before removing the ice pack and checking the bruise with her fingers again. It still felt tender and sore, but the bump wasn't so obvious.

I could sit up without feeling dizzy, but I remained on the bed just in case. The round clock on the wall read **4:30 PM**. Classes had long ended and I wouldn't have been surprised if I was the only student left lingering in the building, except for club meetings and sport practices. Most would have made way for their dorm rooms by now or back home for the weekend. Home. Where I could have been if I hadn't followed Itsuko's lead.

"Your friend has your things and is waiting for you outside the entrance. She said to tell you she's sorry and that she still wants to see that action movie on Monday."

The bubble of irritation in my chest popped at that and in it's place, something heavy settled underneath. A deep sinking feeling as if someone wearing big water soaked shoes was stepping over where my heart was. Guilt? Remorse? Probably. I had snapped at her pretty harshly, maybe _too_ viciously considering how much of a vulnerable soul she was. Was it really right of me to be mad at her for her gallivanting affections? It was normal to get crushes. Griping on her for liking a boy seemed so immature now, despite the unchanging impression that our friendship was being sidetracked. Itsuko was still my best friend after all and turning my back on her wasn't easy. Impossible, the more I thought about it.

"I tried sending her away an hour ago, but she insisted on waiting," the kind nurse noted with a head shake. "At least Ushijima listens to his elders."

The sudden name drop made me frown. "Sorry?"

"Ushijima Wakatoshi. From class six."

I stared at her.

She looked right back at me. Seconds passed in silence.

"Captain of the boy's volleyball team. About... oh, I don't know, this tall-" She made a line with her fingers and held it high above her head.

I cut her description short. "No, I know who he is. It's just... I don't understand what he has to do with anything."

"Oh my, that ball knocked your memory too," the nurse remarked after a beat with a light laugh, her full cheeks bright and rosy. "Ushijima was the one who struck the ball that hit you. When you fell unconscious, your friend called for help. He picked you up and carried you right over."

My hand instinctively flew up to cup the spot where the ball landed. Blood gushed painfully to the area by the abrupt touch, but my senses, blindsided and frazzled as they were, didn't register it right away. The only thing I could comprehend were the connecting dots in my mind. Itsuko's warning cry, the rush of air around me before passing out, being carried to the nurse's office in the arms of the same boy who put me in this position in the first place.

Ushijima Wakatoshi.

That bastard.

"You see, that's why I was so pleasantly surprised you only had minor bruising and woke up so quickly! Everyone knows how hard that young man can spike."

Apparently I didn't.

I knew I hated volleyball for a reason, I seethed to myself, feeling like steam was erupting from my ears. It wasn't just because of six inches of stick up red hair. They were all bad. All of them.

"If I were you, I'd think about writing a 'thank-you' note to him. He waited outside the door for the longest time so he could apologize. I think he would still be there if I hadn't sent him off so he wouldn't miss class!" The nurse chuckled again. "Such a nice young man."

If my head wasn't exploding before, it certainly was now. Of course I knew of Ushijima Wakatoshi, captain of Shiratorizawa's volleyball team. There wasn't anyone in the school, in the prefecture, in the country who didn't. His face tended to be plastered all over bulletin boards in the halls along with the other members and even in magazine articles. Young boys everywhere liked to talk about their power and how much they admired them, my own brother included. They were everywhere, in every literal sense. Newspaper clippings, television, radio.

I knew of Ushijima; I just didn't know him. Why would I want to? He played volleyball.

That meant I already disliked him.

After a while, the nurse examined the swelling on my head and discovered that it had receded enough for me to go home. The office had called my parents to tell them what happened, but the tameness of the situation and the fact that they didn't have to send me to an actual hospital meant that they didn't have to leave work. The mental image of their reaction was severe enough to make my ears ring. They'd probably never let me out of the house after this. Or at least not withhold some kind of protective helmet.

I waddled out to the campus entrance, my head still muddled but otherwise clear of pain. The nurse had gifted me a grape juice box before releasing me and I held the cool side of the carton to my temple to ease some of the fuzziness. Itsuko's figure was waiting in the distance, her back toward the school as she traced circles in the dirt with the front of her shoe, then kicked it away. My bag was held behind her, fingers curled under the strap. When I called out for her, she noticeably stiffened before spinning around, light green eyes wide and watery.

"Chihiro-chaaaaaaaaan!"

That shrill tone cued a stampede of footsteps as she started running fullsprint to me, arms waving wildly like she was trying to make the world's very first air angel.

Before our foreheads could collide in a painful smack, I calmly held out my arm, palm facing outward and stopped her in her tracks. My fingers sunk into the fullness of her cheek awkwardly, temporarily dazing her. Her arms were still halfway in the air.

"My head, Itsu-chan," I deadpanned, both of us holding the pose.

Itsuko grinned ruefully. "Oh, yeah, right." She slumped back into her regular posture then and rubbed the back of her head, short unbraided twin tails popping out at either side of her neck. "I've been doing some thinking while I was waiting..."

"That's new."

"And I've come to the realization- hey!" Realizing what I said, she lightly whacked me in the shoulder. "I... I know I've been a terrible friend to you lately. Really, Chihiro-chan, your friendship means the world to me and I never wanted to make you feel like you were unimportant! You're like family to me!"

I smiled faintly at her passionate exclamation, feeling guilty of bad behavior myself. "It's okay, Itsu-chan. I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. People get crushes all the time. It's natural and I should have been supportive instead of jealous."

Itsuko giggled, linking her arm through mine. "Oh, silly, Chihiro-chan! You know I could never replace you!" She handed over my book bag and playfully tugged me toward the sidewalk where we usually made our weekend commute home. "Besides, I think I ought to give boys a break for while. Tendo's attention is so hard to catch!"

"It might help if you didn't lurk from the shadows and actually went up to talk to him."

"True."

We walked in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying the afternoon breeze, the soothing _thunk thunk_ of our shoes against the pavement, a flock of bird flying above, the soft tinge of orange in the sky by the approaching sunset and most importantly, each other's company. It felt like a blast to the past of old times where no matter how crazy our day went, whether it was riddled with piles of homework, exams one after another, or just boring hours of having no one to talk to between breaks, we always reconnected afterwards. The juice box in my school blazer pocket was still cold when I reached for it, so I unwrapped the plastic covering, stabbed the little bendy straw into the cutout and let Itsuko take the first sip. She smiled and giggled when purple juice dribbled on her bottom lip.

"You know, I don't really blame you for liking Tendo," I confessed quietly. "He is cute."

Itsuko's gaze snapped to me sharply, thin brows pulling together. She blinked.

And blinked.

Before a happy squeal burst from her lips. She clapped her hands together excitedly, on cloud nine at the fact that I agreed on her choice of crush, but she didn't say more of it. We only continued passing the juice carton back and forth all the way home. Maybe getting nailed in the head by that volleyball worked out for the best after all. If it hadn't happened, I'd still be angry at Itsuko, stormed away and we probably wouldn't have spoke until the following week. Or the week after that. Maybe not even that. That would have definitely made things worse in the long run, but I was happy were already past that.

The ball brought us together in a weird way. I just hoped it wouldn't tear us apart again.

As we got closer to our neighborhood, the nurse's advice couldn't help but parachute around in my mind, like when a parent told you to do something around the house and you remembered it at the last minute. Except there wasn't any panic. Only a strong sense that I had to suck it up, be a good person, and thank Ushijima the proper way, no matter how much it mortified me. The way the nurse spoke about him in such high regard... it was like she hadn't met a teenaged boy with manners like his. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

Maybe.

* * *

Approximately six hours and thirteen sheets of notebook paper later, I ripped out a fresh page from my book, crumpled it into a ball and threw it at the trash in frustration. The bin was already full at that point and it bounced off the rim, then rolled to the middle of the floor. That made me grumble in incoherence, but I was too irked to do anything about it and just laid my cheek on my desk, wanting to bang my whole head against it until something suitable popped in my head to write Ushijima. Nothing I thought of sounded formal enough.

_Dear, Ushijima-san_

_You probably don't remember me, but you should since I could have died on Friday because of you_-

No, that was too aggressive.

_Dear, Ushijima-san_

_This is Otonashi Chihiro, a second year from class 5. Thank you for carrying me to the nurse's office, it was very nice you, even though I wished you hadn't because I really don't like you_-

That was too honest.

_Dear, Ushijima-san_

_Thanks._

_Sincerely, __Otonashi Chihiro from class 5_

And that was way too simple.

Getting my thoughts down on paper, regardless of whether they were pleasant or charged with bitterness, was more difficult than I thought. Saying just a plain 'thank you' didn't feel like enough. Volleyball players weren't exactly people I admired, but given Ushijima's act of kindness, I wasn't completely averted to the idea of speaking to him. At least more than a few minutes. But the slight gratitude that stirred inside me was overcome with nerves that quickly jumbled any thoughts that tried to escape. Itsuko probably wouldn't have any trouble doing this. She always had a personality that flourished.

"Are you writing a story?" The voice of my younger brother Koichi quipped from over my shoulder.

I jumped by the sudden presence, neck stiff and sore from being hunched over the desk for so long. I blinked and glanced at my open notebook that was littered with scribbles. "Kind of. Did you need help with homework?"

Koichi shook his head, hands stuffed in the pockets of his red hoodie. "Mom wanted me to get you for dinner."

That made me lean back and rub at the side of my neck. How long had I been holed up in my room? Usually I was the one who had to drag my brother by the shirt tails and down to the dining table. The roles were switched then and I almost felt like shooing him out the door like he'd do to me countless times. But I was tired. And hungry.

The letter would have to wait.

"Come on, hurry up!" Koichi griped from the entryway.

"Okay, I'm coming," I replied as I carefully shut my notebook away in the desk drawer before joining the rest of my family for dinner.

* * *

With a head clearer and stomach warm and full, the routinely hour set for bed came by with ease. The swelling had gone down at my head and didn't hurt so much whenever I moved my neck, but sleeping on my regular side would probably be a challenge. Mom had a mix of reactions brewing when we were all seated for dinner, but she didn't ruin the already awkward atmosphere by letting them all spill. Mostly, she asked what kind of medicine the nurse gave me and if I still felt pain. I guess whatever the nurse told her over the phone didn't sound like anything more than it was: an accident. At least now Dad wouldn't have to worry about hospital bills.

Trudging up the stairs, I stopped in the middle of the hall when I realized I still had to compose and deliver the thank you note to Ushijima. Eight hours had gone by since I came home and not one word was written down for it. What else was there to say except 'thanks for not killing me' or 'I resent you'? I buried my face in my hands and sighed, wondering what I could come up with by Monday morning.

Then an idea formed.

The door to my brother's room was halfway shut, allowing light to filter through and touch the opposite wall. It was quiet inside, but it generally was during that time of night, as he got himself into the habit of gaming for a few hours before falling asleep.

I pushed the handle open a little more and peered in. "Hey, Koichi, do you still have last month's sport magazine?"

He was sitting on his bed, playing a Gameboy Advanced in his sleep clothes. "Yeah, why?" He didn't even look up at me when he answered.

I danced around the question as much as I could. He'd definitely think I was weird if I told him. "Mind if I see it for a second?" He only shrugged in response, too deeply invested in his game to care much, so I took that as a signal to sift through his hefty stack of Shonen Jumps.

Kneeling down, I flipped through the magazines until the front sport page unveiled from the last row. Different faces of athletes shared the cover, all from various sports and teams. The boys of Shiratorizawa were somewhere in there and along with it, random facts about Ushijima. I sat on the carpet and skimmed through the pages, hearing Koichi's button smashing and grumbles of frustration from the bed. A lot of the content was surprisingly ads, but after halfway through the magazine, the articles of the boys came into view. The last one was focused on the team captain.

Ushijima.

Glaring a bit at his photograph, I read his fact sheet, my eyebrows shooting up at how tall he actually was. Other tidbits of information included things like star sign, eye color, weight and a small list of his favorite things. One of those things in particular caught my attention. I closed the book then before setting it back on the pile and standing up.

"Thanks, bro."

Koichi just grunted in acknowledgement.

I rolled my eyes and padded down the stairs to the kitchen. Mom was by the sink when I rounded the corner, drying wet dishes and putting them away.

"Mom, do we have anymore bay leaves and tomato paste?"

She thought for a moment. "I used them up for last night's dinner. Why?"

"I was just thinking of making some hayashi rice tomorrow."

"If you're having cravings, I can always make it for dinner next weekend."

"No, no... it's not for me." I anxiously rubbed the back of my head. "It's for a student at school." Mom raised her eyebrows at that, but didn't say anything, so I continued. "Remember how I got hit in the head today by a volleyball? Well, it turns out the guy who did it is on the team. He helped me to the nurse's office and I read he likes hayashi rice, so I thought I'd make some for him as a thank you present."

Mom had paused from putting the dishes away then and was fully facing me. She draped the damp towel over her shoulder and folded her arms. "Ah. I remember my first high school crush..."

I paled. "God, Mom, it's not like I'm gonna propose to him. He just did a nice thing and I wanna show my gratitude."

"I'll say," she remarked with a chuckle. "Since you seem so eager, I'll make you a deal: I'll make the dish for you in the morning and you walk your little brother to his soccer practice. I have to go into work early."

"Okay, that's fair. Thanks, Mom."

She nodded and smiled, moving the rag so she could wipe her hands. "If you want to feed your honey, it might as well be something good."

The expression on my face was equal to that of a blank slate. A reddening, furious canvas. It was normal to give gifts as recompense for kind gestures, wasn't it? Even to someone you hadn't formally met? It seemed that way to me, albeit not very many students at Shiritorizawa Academy had undergone the 'volleyball to cranium' initiation of the second year semester. I would have done it for anyone else, whether it was a tall volleyball team captain or someone more spastic, like Itsuko. That wasn't how my mother saw it, though, but I was just beginning to think she liked to see me flustered.

Retreating back to my room, I changed into my sleep wear before making sure I had everything in my school bag for Monday and all the paper balls were deposited in the trash bin. It was relaxing to not have many academic burdens coming home for the weekend. I could have used that night and the following day to recharge, to allow my brain to ghost on the bundle of information that it had to retain almost every day. Adding into the fact that I had to spent a few hours in the nurse's office, treating bad head pains (I was lucky enough to still have had one) and walking feeling like there was cotton stuffed in my cheeks... sleeping in for a night was a fair trade for all the toil and trouble.

I climbed into bed and shut off the table side lamp with a yawn. When my eyes adjusted to the dark, I couldn't help but think back on the magazine articles. I had never cared for volleyball players, but judging from Ushijima's picture alone, I couldn't help but admit...

He was sort of good-looking.

* * *

Sunlight came streaking through the windows, casting warm rays on my form buried underneath mounds of blankets. Birds started chirping from the trees outside. If it wasn't the weekend, I would have been forced to wake up at dawn, clean myself up and pack for the school week before making the trip back to Shiratorizawa. But since it was a Saturday, I was free to sleep in, eat something beside routine cafeteria lunches, and take my time with homework. It was nice to be able to rest for once in what seemed like months.

Then someone knocked on the door. The knob twisted and creaked open.

"Chihiro?" Mom's voice murmured.

I groaned incomprehensibly and rolled over over, pulling the comforter from my face. "Yeah?"

"Can you still walk your little brother to his soccer game?"

"Sure."

Silence.

I closed my eyes, sleep calling to me again and expected for the door to click shut with my mom's departure, but then I heard her sigh. And her nails began tapping on the door handle. Curiously, I peered my eyes open at her again. "What?"

"It's today," Mom deadpanned.

I shot straight up. "But you said it was-"

"Saturday. Which is today."

Oh, right, I thought to myself. Why did I think his game was on Sunday? Yesterday's events must have messed up my thought process, short circuiting my memory to the point where all I could retain was the impact of the volleyball against my skull. Since his game was that morning at noon, that meant I only had twenty minutes to freshen up, dress appropriately and walk him to the playing field on time.

Jumping out of bed, I yanked my dresser drawer open, grabbing a handful of clothes that seemed suitable for the weather and charged past my mom toward the bathroom. She stood outside the hall, coat draped over one arm and laughed when she heard me running the tap water, hurrying to catch up to schedule.

"Your brother is waiting in the kitchen. I made that dish you wanted; it's wrapped in a box at the top shelf in the fridge."

I waved goodbye at her as she opened the front door with a smile and stepped out, the smell of fresh cooking ingredients wafting in from the kitchen. There was still five minutes left until Koichi and I had to walk out as well, so I used that time to get dressed and brush the sleep-tangles from my hair. It wasn't the first instance of Mom tasking me with the responsibility of escorting my little brother somewhere. Whether it was to a sport game or a friend's house, I was generally the one who walked him there and back. When I was home for the weekend, that was.

Koichi and I got along pretty well, as well as any siblings would when they only saw each other twice a week. He had the same dry sense of humor as our Mom, so that caused for much of our bickering. It never grew personal, though; he was still my little brother and I loved him.

Koichi was sitting at the table when I came in, playing with one of his portable games low on his lap. "Oh, so you're alive," he snipped.

"Shut up, dobe." I reached out to ruffle his light brown hair and he smacked my hand away gently. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready."

He stood up then and slung his sport bag over his shoulder. We left right on the dot at **11:45 AM**, which was surprising considering how late I had woken up. The roads were pretty empty during this time of day as most people were already gone from their house so it was a relatively easy walk for us. Koichi took the lead and walked on a couple paces ahead of me while I strolled along with my hands in my jacket pockets. It was a nice morning to be outside as the sun wasn't shining too hot, but the only downside to it was that the long route that we took to the soccer field usually left me with sore feet. I practically felt like crawling back inside the house on the trip back.

Some people were made for athleticism, but I clearly wasn't apart of that margin.

Yawning, I rubbed the length of my right arm over my face, covering my eyes in the process and not realizing that Koichi had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. I bumped straight into his back, making me stumble a little and glare down at his short head.

"Hey, baka, what are you-"

His grip slackened on his practice bag and he pointed excitedly to something at the opposite crosswalk. "Look!" He gasped. "It's the Super Ace!"

"Huh?" I scratched my temple in confusion and scanned the expanse of our side of the pavement, following the direction of Koichi's arm all the way across from us. Then I gasped too.

Jogging swiftly along the adjoining sidewalk, tall and lean, was Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Despite our rather loud exchange, the volleyball captain didn't take notice to us, much less glance our way. His features were calm and composed (a part of me dared to say broodingly handsome), not even breaking a sweat even though it appeared that he'd been running for several hours. Did he always take this path when exercising? Right near my house? Why didn't I spot him before? Maybe I had passed him once on occasion without realizing it. A raincloud of emotions came over me.

I didn't know what to do. He didn't see us, so it was a good reason as any to continue on walk like he wasn't there, but given our last form of connection, I felt inclined to approach him in some way and offer my thanks for his help.

"You think he gives autographs?" Koichi mused, turning his body to face Ushijima the farther he jogged down the block.

I grabbed his shirt collar and tugged him along. "Oh, no, you don't," I told him and his arms went flailing as I yanked him back. "Leave him alone. We're gonna be late for your game."

"Can you get one for me on Monday, at least?"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Come on, you go to school with the guy. He has to know who you are."

I was glad I was pulling him behind me then or he would have seen the blush on my cheeks. "He doesn't, actually."

That technically wasn't a lie. Given how many times the volleyball captain must have caused accidents like what happened outside the gymnasium, I was sure he unintentionally sent numerous amount of students to the nurse's office due to his killer hand. What was one more face to the mix? He probably forgotten all about me already. And that was fine with me.

Koichi and I kept walking at a gradual pace, side by side, until the grassy outline of his practice field came into view. The net was set up and people were preparing to start the game, pulling out chairs and the goalie's net. I waited by the curb as Koichi approached the area where the players met and all his friends were there, seeing them smile and wave him over enthusiastically. He returned their gesture before sending a shorter wave in my direction, which I smiled faintly at. His game generally lasted a couple hours, so I wouldn't have to pick him up until two in the afternoon. That left some time for me to finish homework and maybe even take a nap.

I walked back home with a little more energy in my step despite the exhaustion that raked my body. All I could think about was the possibility of running into Ushijima again on the sidewalk - or more like passing him while he worked on his aerobics, unbeknownst to my presence. What could I have said to him to begin with? Presenting him with a warm 'thank you' in my head was much simpler than just approaching the guy like anyone would have done. I wasn't generally shy around boys, but maybe that was because I had yet to experience a first real crush. Flipping through fashion magazines to ogle the male models didn't count and neither did mentality commenting on a boy's good looks when passing them in school. Itsuko teased me once saying that true love never waited farther than the horse's stables.

I was sure it'd never be near the gymnasium.

With nothing but the thud of my sneakers to accompany me, I tucked my hands in my jacket pockets and turned the corner to my neighborhood. It was a quiet mid morning aside from the occasional passing car or bird chirping in a nearby tree. When the grassy hedges of our front lawn came into view, a thought struck me and made me stop in my tracks in the middle of the sidewalk. The general route of our neighborhood was shaped like a circle, allowing travelling passersby to circuit around the block over and over again if they wanted to. What if that was what Ushijima was doing for his morning run? What if he was on his way back around right then and there?

The notion sparked a bubble of paranoia and with nervousness, I glanced over both sides of my shoulders, expecting to see his hurricane of a physique come trampling through at any second. Would he finally stop and acknowledge me or keep on jogging? What did I even want him to do? Feeling antsy, I resumed my walk back to my house, stride a little quicker now with the thought of an impending volleyball captain on the brain. I told myself I wasn't running the rest of the way home, but it might have looked that way.

* * *

For the first time in my life, I felt like I wasn't ready for school.

I woke up five minutes past my alarm, lost my spare school shirt in the laundry room, and had trouble fitting all the my school material in the limited space of my school bag. There was still the finished container of hayashi rice Mom had left in the fridge for me to take to Ushijima and I didn't know how I'd carry the heavy load all the way to Shiratorizawa grounds without either spilling the dish or my book bag. I guess I could have enlisted Itsuko's help, but the outcomes were potentially equally disastrous for the both of us. She had enough struggle carrying her own things.

Despite the rocky beginning, the walk back to campus was a pleasant one. Itsuko, still fresh off her passionate words from the weekend, didn't utter a word about Tendo or any other boy. She still talked a million miles a minute about this or that, but it was two-sided this time with each of us contributing to the conversation. It was refreshing. It loosened me up as we approached the school's gates and I felt better equipped to take on the day. Maybe not the week, but at least the day.

Until I remembered I had to deliver the hayashi rice to Ushijima's dorm room.

"Oh, no." I skidded to a halt past campus borders. "I can't do this."

Itsuko, walking a couple paces ahead of me, turned around and frowned. "What are you talking about, Chihiro-chan?"

"This!" I lifted the meal in my grasp for emphasize. "I can't face him after what happened. What am I supposed to say? Thanks for taking me to the nurse after you knocked me out, so here's a gourmet meal so you can eat well?"

"I think that sounds very sweet."

"How about you take it to him then?"

Itsuko's displeased expression resembled a mother hen and she promptly fisted her hands at her hips. "Chihiro-chan, you went through all this trouble in making that dish!" She pointed a finger in the direction of the boys' dorm rooms. "Now go see to it."

"My mom cooked it."

"Well, then, honor your mother!"

Itsuko jumped behind me then, pushing both palms flat against my back to steer me along. I dug in my heels, stubbornly fighting against her encouragement and I almost flailed my arms about until I realized I still had the bento box to hold on to.

"Stop! Itsu-chan, no!" I protested, but she kept on pushing. We shuffled down the corridors of the boys' dorm, passing male students exiting their rooms and they all shot confused glances our way.

I wasn't certain how Itsuko knew the number of Ushijima's dorm, but I guessed it had something to do about her previous surveillance to everything Tendo Satori. She was bound to figure out the room and boarding for the other team members, too. Especially the captain. My stomach did fried flips as she maneuvered me in front of a simple closed doorway before swiftly knocking on it it three times. My hands gripped the sides of the container tighter and I gulped, feeling like an insect under the height of the biggest crushing shoe.

"I'll be watching!" Itsuko said in my ear, grinning from ear to ear. She took off and disappeared around the corner then, but I had no doubt that she'd somehow situate herself behind one of those grassy green hedges outside of the window.

I looked back at the door again and took a deep breath, holding the container a little lower against my middle so I didn't come off so nervous. A few seconds passed without much noise at the other side of the wood and I wondered to myself if we came at the right time or if Ushijima had already left for his class. If he was already gone then I'd be free to leave too and throw the dish away. I glanced both ways down the hall, stepping back in preparation to make my escape.

Then the door opened.

And there stood Ushijima.

* * *

**A/N:** **This has been sitting in my folder for ages and I thought I'd post it and see what I could do with it for fun between school. I really enjoyed writing it and I hope you liked it too. :)**

**Thanks for reading! Take care.**


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